Latch assembly



c. c. MOLER LATCH 'ASSEMBLY Dec. 17, 1957 Filed Marc h 18, 1955 r N WW2 5 km z V. W

United States Patent LATCH ASSEMBLY Charles C. Moler, Hartford City, Ind., assignor to Overhead Door Corporation, Hartford City, Ind., a corporation of Indiana Application March 18, 1955, Serial No. 495,284

3 Claims. (Cl. 292-143) This invention relates to locks for upwardly acting or vertically sliding doors which may be actuated from the inside of the door without the use of a key.

The main objects of this invention are:

First, to provide a lock for upwardly acting or vertically slidable doors which may be manipulated from the inside of the door without the aid of a key and which includes a key controlled or so called spinning outer handle.

Second, to provide a lock or latch having the above advantages which is well adapted for use on doors of trucks and trailers and the like, and one in which the parts are sturdy and well protected and adapted to withstand severe shocks and strains.

Third, to provide a lock or latch of the sliding bolt type in which the bolt is actuated-with a snap action and is springably held in both its projected and retracted positions.

Fourth, to provide a latch or bolt having these advantages in which the parts may be economically produced and assembled.

Objects relating to details and economies of the invention will appear from the description to follow. The invention is defined and pointed out in the claims.

A structure which embodies the features of the invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. l is a fragmentary inside elevational view of an upwardly acting door having the lock or latch of this invention mounted thereon, the bolt being shown in projected or looking position.

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view partially in horizontal section on a line corresponding to broken line 22 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary View partially in vertical section on a line corresponding to line 3--3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a side elevational view viewed from the left of Fig. 2.

In the accompanying drawing I have illustrated the lock of my invention as applied to an upwardly acting door. 1 represents a door frame and 2 the vertical portion of a track. The door designated generally by the numeral 3 is formed of sections 4,4 connected by hinges designated generally by the numeral 5 which also carry the spindles for track engaging rollers which are not illustrated as they are old in the art and form no part of the present invention.

The lock or latch of the embodiment of my invention illustrated comprises a casing or housing designated generally by the numeral 6, the casing or housing being formed of inner and outer members 7 and 8, respectively, of channel section and desirably formed as sheet metal stampings. These inner and outer members 7 and 8 are telescoped with the flanges of the outer members embracing the flanges of the inner member. The webs of the inner and outer members have aligned flanged openings therein constituting bearings 9. The flanges of the inner and outer members are provided with aligned 2,816,785 Patented Dec. 17, 1957 ICC slots 10 and 11 which coact to provide bearings 12 slidably supporting the bolt 13.

The spindle 14 is provided with a bearing member 15 sleeved thereon and coacting with the bearings 9 of the housing. The bolt actuating arm 16 is mounted on the spindle bearing and is provided with a rounded outer end 17 projecting into the slot 18 in the bolt. In the embodiment illustrated the bolt is formed of a strip of metal folded longitudinally upon itself with opposed laterally offset portions 19 thereof forming the slot.

The arm 16 is provided with a disk-like head portion 20 to which the biasing plunger 21 is connected eccentrically of the spindle as is shown in Fig. 3.

The inner and outer housing members are provided at one end with angled extensions 22 and 23, respectively, the arms of which overlap and form an abutment 24 having an opening 25 therein in which the plunger is reciprocatingly or slidably supported. A coil spring 26 is seated on this abutment and is in thrust engagement with the collar 27 on the plunger. The connection for the plunger to the spindle is such that the inner end of the plunger swings across a plane through the spindle and the point of engagement of the plunger with the abutment with the result that the bolt is actuated with a snap action and is yieldably held in both projected and retracted position. The track 2 is provided with an opening 28 which constitutes a keeper for the bolt.

The inner handle 29 is nonrotatably secured to the inner end of the spindle as by the screw 30. The outer end of the spindle is supported by the escutcheon 31 and is provided with a handle designated generally by the numeral 32 which is detachably connected to the spindle through the key actuated barrel conventionally indicated at 33, the removable key being shown at 34. This handle is of the so-called spinning type and I have not illustrated the details of the handle and key controlling connections to the spindle as such details form no part of my present invention, and usable handles of the spinning or releasable type are old in the commercial and patent art, for example, in the patent to Keeler et al. No. 1,828,468, granted October 20, 1931.

In the embodiment illustrated the handle of my invention is adapted to be mounted on either the right hand side of a door as illustrated or on the left hand side. The bolt illustrated is reversible although it would not need to be reversed if both ends, when projected from the easing or housing, were of keeper engaging length.

The latch or lock of my invention is especially desirable for use in upwardly acting doors on trucks, trailers, freight cars and the like; while simple and economical in its parts, and they are readily assembled, the lock is capable of withstanding very severe usage. The snap actuated bolt is spring biased in both its projected and its retracted position and is not shifted from either position by severe jolts and jars or shocks such as might result when installed on upwardly acting doors of trucks, trailers, freight cars and the like.

I have illustrated my invention in a highly practical embodiment thereof. I have not attempted to illustrate or describe other embodiments or adaptations as it is believed this disclosure will enable those skilled in the art to adapt my invention as may be desired.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a latch assembly having a reciprocable bolt and a spindle extending in spaced transverse relation to the bolt with a bolt actuating arm on the spindle and engaged with the bolt, means for supporting said bolt and spindle on a door and for biasing the arm and bolt to oppositely actuated positions comprising inner and outer members of channel section disposed in facing telescoping relation with the flanges of't'h'e inner member lapped within the flanges of the outer member and abutted against the web of the outer member, said membershaving extensions on one end with laterally turned and overlapped abutments extendin'g' across the space between the members, the flanges of said members having aligned slots extending from their edges and" coacting to provide'bearings'slidably supporting said bolt, the Webs of said members having aligned openings passing said spindle, a bearing on said spindle rotatablyandaxially retained between said" members in said openings, a plunger connected to said arm eccentric to said spindle and projecting slidably through said abutments, a coil spring sleeved around said plunger and abutted between said abutinents and the plunger inwardly of the abutments, and bolts passed through said members and adapted to secure said members to a door and hold the members in telescoped'relation.

2'. In a latch assembly having a reciprocable bolt and a spindle extendingin spaced transverse relation to the bolt with a bolt actuating arm on the spindle and engaged with the bolt, means for supporting said bolt and spindle 011' a door and forbiasing the arm and bolt to oppositely actuated positions comprising inner and outer members of channel'section disposed in facing telescoping relation with the flanges of the inner member lappedwithin the flanges of the outer member and abutted against the web of the outer member, one of said members having an extension on one end with a laterally turned abutment extending across the space between the members, the flanges of said members having aligned slots extending from their edges and coacting to provide bearings slidably supporting said bolt, the webs of said members having aligned openings passing said spindle, a bearing on said spindle rotatably and axially retained between said members in said openings, a plunger connected to said arm eccentric to said spindle and projecting slidably through said abutment, a coil spring sleeved around said plunger and abutted be- 4 tween said abutment and the plunger inwardly of the abutments, and bolts passed through said members and adapted to secure said members to 'a door and hold the members in telescoped relation.

3. In a latch assembly having a reciprocable bolt and a spindle extending in spaced transverse relation to the bolt with a bolt actuating arm on the spindle and engaged with the bolt, means for supporting said bolt and spindle on a door and for biasing the arm and bolt to oppositely actuated positions comprising inner and outer members of channel section disposed in facing telescoping relation with the flanges of the inner member lapped within the flanges of the outer member and abutted against the web of the outer member, one of said members having an extension on one end with a laterally turned abutment extending across the space between the members, the flanges of one of said members having aligned openings therein coacting to provide bearings slidably supporting said bolt, the webs of said'members having aligned openings passing said spindle, a bearing on said spindle rotatably and axially retained between said members in said last openings, a plunger connected to said arm eccentric to said spindle and projecting slidably through said abutment, a coil spring sleeved around said plunger and abutted between said abutment and the plunger inwardly of the abutments, and bolts passed-through said members and adapted to secure said members to a door and hold the members in telescoped relation.

References'Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 71,944 Andrews Dec. 10, 1867 281,458 Conner July 17, 1883 800,043 Witte Sept. 19, 1905 1,580,666 Hansen Apr. 13, 1926 1,825,397 Hedeen Sept. 29, 1931 1,828,468 Keeler et a1. Oct. 20, 1931 

